U.S. patent number 7,798,824 [Application Number 12/200,657] was granted by the patent office on 2010-09-21 for adapter for line voltage track.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Juno Manufacturing, Inc.. Invention is credited to Franklin Phoyeng Fong.
United States Patent |
7,798,824 |
Fong |
September 21, 2010 |
Adapter for line voltage track
Abstract
An adapter for an electrical line voltage track system includes
a housing having a first end adapted for mounting to an electrical
source or an electrical fixture, and a second end adapted for
mounting to a line voltage track. The housing includes a housing
cover coupled to a housing body. The housing cover is movable
relative to the housing body between a closed position and an open
position. A supporting sleeve is movably coupled to the housing,
and a plurality of electrical contacts, including a fixed contact
and a movable contact, are also coupled to the housing. The movable
contact is movable, relative to the housing, between an engaged
position and a disengaged position. In the engaged position, the
movable contact causes electrical contact with the line voltage
track. In the disengaged position, electrical contact is
removed.
Inventors: |
Fong; Franklin Phoyeng
(Wheeling, IL) |
Assignee: |
Juno Manufacturing, Inc. (Des
Plaines, IL)
|
Family
ID: |
41726115 |
Appl.
No.: |
12/200,657 |
Filed: |
August 28, 2008 |
Prior Publication Data
|
|
|
|
Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
|
US 20100055947 A1 |
Mar 4, 2010 |
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
439/116; 439/110;
362/147; 362/391 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H01R
25/142 (20130101); H01R 33/22 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
H01R
25/00 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;439/116,121,110,111,112,117,118,119,259,263,266,207
;362/147,226,238,239,249,250,391,373,404,294,269,407,427 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Other References
Halo Spec Sheets for LF10620, LA10620, and L10620,
http://www.cooperlighting.com/specfiles/pdf/Halo/ADV050016.pdf,
Jan. 25, 2007 (2 pages). cited by other .
Halo Architectural Flexible Track Installation Instructions LF601,
http://www.cooperlighting.com/specfiles/instGuides/703214%20inst%20sheet.-
pdf, Date Unknown (2 pages). cited by other .
Halo Buyer's Guide for Synchro PAR20 Lampholder, Synchro PAR30
Lampholder, and Synchro PAR38 Lampholder,
http://www.cooperlighting.com/specfiles/productinfopdf/SYN.sub.--1.sub.---
06.sub.--20.sub.--30.sub.--38.pdf, Date Unknown (1 page). cited by
other .
Halo Installation Instructions for LF106, LA106, and L106 Series,
http://www.cooperlighting.com/specfiles/InstGuides/962005115757.sub.--LF1-
06.sub.--Inst..sub.--s.pdf, Date Unknown (2 pages). cited by other
.
Halo Product Detail for Synchro 106-20,
http://www.halotg.com/common/brands.cfm?pg=Detailed&brand=Halo&category=T-
rack%20Lighting%3A%20Architectural%20Track%3A%%20Synchro&id=13824,
Date Unknown (2 pages). cited by other .
WAC Lighting, HMI-816 Product Detail Sheet,
http://www.waclighting.com/USA/products/?categoryid=22&productid=158,
Date Unknown (1 page). cited by other.
|
Primary Examiner: Leon; Edwin A.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An adapter for an electrical line voltage track system, the
adapter comprising: a housing having a first end adapted for
mounting to one of an electrical source and an electrical fixture
and a second end adapted for mounting to a line voltage track, the
housing including a housing cover coupled to a housing body and
movable relative to the housing body between a closed position and
an open position; a supporting sleeve movably coupled to the
housing; and a plurality of electrical contacts enclosed in the
housing and including a fixed contact and a movable contact, the
movable contact being movable relative to the housing between an
engaged position and a disengaged position, the movable contact
causing electrical contact with the line voltage track in the
engaged position, the electrical contact being removed when the
movable contact is in the disengaged position.
2. The adapter of claim 1, wherein the movable contact is a live
contact.
3. The adapter of claim 1, wherein all parts of the adapter,
including the housing, the supporting sleeve, and the plurality of
electrical contacts, are secured together as a unit.
4. The adapter of claim 1, wherein both the fixed contact and the
movable contact are mounted to the housing.
5. The adapter of claim 1, further comprising at least one sleeve
spring mounted between the supporting sleeve and the housing for
causing a biasing force directing the supporting sleeve away from
the housing.
6. The adapter of claim 1, further comprising at least one contact
spring mounted between the movable contact and a retaining
compartment for causing a biasing force directing the movable
contact away from the supporting sleeve and toward the housing, the
retaining compartment being located within the housing.
7. The adapter of claim 1, further comprising a threaded connector
coupled to the housing, the threaded connector receiving a mating
threaded end of the supporting sleeve for securing the supporting
sleeve to the housing in a secured position of the supporting
sleeve.
8. The adapter of claim 1, wherein the housing cover is hingedly
coupled to the housing body.
9. The adapter of claim 1, further comprising a lead wire coupled
to each of the fixed contact and the movable contact, the lead wire
passing internally through the supporting sleeve.
10. The adapter of claim 1, wherein the fixed contact and the
movable contact are configured to be received in a top mounting
track configuration.
11. An adapter for an electrical line voltage track system, the
adapter comprising: a housing having a cover pivotable between a
closed position and an open position, the housing forming a closed
track hole when the cover is in the closed position, the housing
forming an open track hole for receiving a line voltage track when
the cover is in the open position; a sleeve coupled to the housing,
the sleeve being movable in an axial direction relative to the
housing when in an unsecured position, the sleeve being fixed
relative to the housing in a secured position; and a movable
contact mounted to the sleeve for insertion in a track cavity, the
movable contact being biased by a contact spring in the axial
direction and movable relative to both the housing and the sleeve,
the movable contact having an electrically engaged position and an
electrically disengaged position, the electrically engaged position
being achieved in the secured position of the sleeve.
12. The adapter of claim 11, further comprising a threaded
connector coupled to the housing, the secured position of the
sleeve being achieved by generally simultaneously moving the sleeve
toward the housing in the axial direction and rotating the sleeve
to threadedly engage a threaded end of the sleeve to the threaded
connector.
13. The adapter of claim 11, further comprising at least one sleeve
spring for biasing the sleeve away from the housing.
14. The adapter of claim 11, wherein the movable contact is a live
contact mounted to a retaining compartment inside the housing, the
movable contact being electrically coupled to a live lead wire
enclosed within the sleeve.
15. The adapter of claim 11, wherein the movable contact is a
neutral contact mounted to a retaining compartment inside the
housing, the movable contact being electrically coupled to a
neutral lead wire enclosed within the sleeve.
16. A line voltage track system comprising: a line voltage track
having a live track cavity and a neutral track cavity, the line
voltage track including a live conductor in the live track cavity
and a neutral conductor in the neutral track cavity; an electrical
adapter for mounting an electrical fixture to the line voltage
track, the electrical adapter including a housing having a track
hole for receiving the line voltage track, the housing having an
end adapted for mounting to the electrical fixture, a sleeve
movably coupled to the housing for securing the electrical adapter
to the line voltage track, and a movable contact for electrically
coupling the electrical fixture to the live conductor, the movable
contact being biased by a spring against the live conductor of the
line voltage track when the movable contact is in an electrically
engaged position, the electrically engaged position being achieved
by axial displacement of the sleeve towards the line voltage track
relative to the sleeve.
17. The line voltage track system of claim 16, further comprising
another electrical adapter for mounting a power feed to the line
voltage track.
18. The line voltage track system of claim 17, wherein the another
electrical adapter includes another movable contact being biased by
another spring against the neutral conductor of the line voltage
track.
19. The line voltage track system of claim 16, wherein the
electrical adapter further includes a pair of sleeve springs for
biasing the sleeve relative to the housing away from the line
voltage track.
20. The line voltage track system of claim 16, wherein the housing
includes a cover pivotable between an open position and a closed
position, the housing being mountable to the line voltage track in
the open position, the movable contact being separated from the
live conductor of the line voltage track by a gap in both the open
position and the closed position.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention is directed generally to electrical track lighting
systems, and, more particularly, to an adapter for coupling an
electrical fixture or a power feed to a line voltage track.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Track lighting systems are accepted electrical systems both in
commercial and residential applications. Well recognized advantages
of track lighting include ease of placement and positioning of
lights. For example, the position of the lights can be easily
changed to accommodate changes in display of merchandise in
commercial applications and rearrangement of furniture in
residential applications.
Light fixtures or power feeds are generally mounted to a track via
an adapter. Typically, the light fixture or the power feed is
mounted to one end of the adapter and the track is mounted to
another end of the adapter. Electrical contacts mounted to the
housing of the adapter are positioned in engagement with conductors
of the track to provide an electrical path from/to an electrical
source (e.g., to provide electrical current from a power source to
a light via the track conductors). However, current adapters are
plagued by many problems.
For example, one problem associated with some adapters is that they
are difficult to install on a track. This type of adapter generally
requires the use of tools (e.g., screwdrivers, pliers, etc.) and/or
requires the assembly of several separate components. To install
the adapter, a service person may be required to simultaneously
hold several components of the adapter and at least one tool. For
example, the service person may have to perform several tasks
generally simultaneously: hold a bottom housing portion with one
hand; hold a top housing portion with another hand; position the
bottom housing portion and the top housing portion correctly around
the track; use a screwdriver to secure in place the top housing
portion to the bottom housing portion via a locking screw; and
maintain balance on a ladder. Likely, the service person may
require several attempts before successfully installing the adapter
to the track. Dropping components or losing balance on the ladder
are common scenarios that can result in a frustrating and
time-consuming experience when installing the adapter.
In another example, other problems associated with some adapters is
that they lack reliable and consistent electrical contacts.
Furthermore, the electrical contacts may present a risk of
electrocution and difficulty during installation.
The electrical contacts of this type of adapters are mounted in a
fixed position relative to the housing of the adapter. Because the
electrical contacts are fixed contacts, they have an inherently
small tolerance for error. If an error is made during
manufacturing, the fixed contact may fail to properly engage the
track conductor. Furthermore, changing the position of the adapter
can improperly bend or otherwise damage the fixed contact. As such,
the fixed contact may fail over time to properly engage the track
conductor, by intermittently or completely failing to conduct
electricity.
Moreover, because the electrical contact is fixed in place, it will
generally be positioned in physical contact with the track
conductor as soon as the adapter is mounted to the track. In other
words, there is generally no gap between the electrical contact and
the conductor when the adapter has been mounted to the track. As
such, if electrical power is not disconnected when the adapter is
mounted to the track, the service person may be electrocuted.
Although installation protocol generally requires the service
person to disconnect live electrical contact during installation,
this is not always the case. In practice, for various reasons, the
service person may forget, ignore, or inadvertently fail to
disconnect live power.
The installation of the adapter may also require greater than
necessary accuracy when positioning the adapter in place on the
track. Specifically, the service person must take great care to
position the adapter on the track such that the electrical contact
is in its exact engaged position. The lack of a physical tolerance,
such as a gap between the electrical contact and the track
conductor, can create an unnecessarily difficult installation
experience.
What is needed, therefore, is an adapter that addresses the
above-stated and other problems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In an implementation of the present invention, an adapter for an
electrical line voltage track system includes a housing having a
first end adapted for mounting to one of an electrical source and
an electrical fixture, and a second end adapted for mounting to a
line voltage track. The housing includes a housing cover coupled to
a housing body, the housing cover being movable relative to the
housing body between a closed position and an open position. A
supporting sleeve is movably coupled to the housing, and a
plurality of electrical contacts, including a fixed contact and a
movable contact, are also coupled to the housing. The movable
contact is movable, relative to the housing, between an engaged
position and a disengaged position. In the engaged position, the
movable contact causes electrical contact with the line voltage
track. In the disengaged position, electrical contact is
removed.
In an alternative implementation of the present invention, an
adapter for an electrical line voltage track system includes a
housing, a sleeve, and a movable contact. The housing has a cover
pivotable between a closed position and an open position, and forms
a closed track hole when the cover is in the closed position and an
open track hole for receiving a line voltage track when the cover
is in the open position. The sleeve is coupled to the housing and
is movable in an axial direction relative to the housing when in an
unsecured position. The sleeve is fixed relative to the housing in
a secured position. The movable contact, which is movable relative
to both the housing and the sleeve, is mounted to the sleeve for
insertion in a track cavity, and is biased by a contact spring in
the axial direction. The movable contact has an electrically
engaged position and an electrically disengaged position, the
electrically engaged position being achieved in the secured
position of the sleeve.
In another alternative implementation of the present invention, a
line voltage track system includes a line voltage track and an
electrical adapter. The line voltage track has a live track cavity
and a neutral track cavity. A live conductor is included in the
live track cavity and a neutral contact is included in the neutral
track cavity. The electrical adapter is adapted for mounting an
electrical fixture to the line voltage track, and includes a
housing, a sleeve, and a movable contact. The housing has a track
hole for receiving the line voltage track, and an end adapted for
mounting to the electrical fixture. The sleeve is movably coupled
to the housing for securing the electrical adapter to the line
voltage track. The movable contact electrically couples the
electrical fixture to the live conductor, and is biased by a spring
against the live conductor of the line voltage track when the
movable contact is in an electrically engaged position. The
electrically engaged position is achieved by axial displacement of
the sleeve towards the line voltage track relative to the
sleeve.
Additional aspects of the invention will be apparent to those of
ordinary skill in the art in view of the detailed description of
various embodiments, which is made with reference to the drawings,
a brief description of which is provided below.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention may best be understood by reference to the following
description taken in conjunction with the accompanying
drawings.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a line voltage track lighting
system, according to one embodiment.
FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of an adapter included in
the line voltage track lighting.
FIG. 3A is a side cross-sectional view illustrating the adapter in
assembled form and mounted to a track of the line voltage track
lighting system, the adapter being in a disengaged position of a
live contact.
FIG. 3B illustrates the adapter of FIG. 3b in an engaged position
of the live contact.
FIG. 4A is a front cross-sectional view of the adapter of FIG.
3a.
FIG. 4B is a front cross-sectional view of the adapter of FIG.
3b.
FIG. 5A is a perspective view of the adapter illustrating a housing
cover in an open position before mounting to the track.
FIG. 5B is a perspective view of the adapter illustrating the
housing cover in the open position, after mounting to the track,
the live contact being in a disengaged position.
FIG. 5C is a perspective view of the adapter illustrating the
housing cover in a closed position and the sleeve movable between
the disengaged position to the engaged position of the live
contact.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS
Although the invention will be described in connection with certain
preferred embodiments, it will be understood that the invention is
not limited to those particular embodiments. On the contrary, the
invention is intended to include all alternatives, modifications
and equivalent arrangements as may be included within the spirit
and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
Referring to FIG. 1, a line voltage track lighting system 100
includes a line voltage track 102 that is supported via a mount 104
to a ceiling 106. The track 102 is arranged in a non-linear form
and includes a plurality of bends to follow a desired ceiling
contour.
A plurality of light fixtures 108a-108d having corresponding
fixture supports 109a-109d are mounted to the track 102 via
corresponding fixture adapters 110a-110d. The fixture adapters
110a-110d are generally similar, if not identical, but may vary in
size and shape. A more detailed description of the fixture adapters
110a-110d (with reference to a single adapter 110) is provided
below in more detail.
A feed adapter 112 is also mounted to the track 102, physically
coupling the track 102 to the ceiling 106 and electrically coupling
the track 102 to an electrical source. The feed adapter 112 is
generally similar to the adapters 110a-110d, but some of its
features are modified to account for a reversal of arrangement in
its electrical contacts. Changes between the feed adapter 112 and
the adapters 110a-110d are described below in more detail.
Referring to FIG. 2, the adapter 110 includes a housing 120 having
a housing body 121 and a housing cover 122. The housing cover 122
is pivotably attached to the housing body 121 via a pin 124. One of
a pair of end caps 126a, 126b is mounted on each end of the pin
124. In general, according to this exemplary embodiment, all the
parts of the adapter 110 are secured together as a unit.
Internally, the housing 120 encloses a plurality of electrical
contacts, including a live contact 128, a neutral contact 130, and
a ground contact 132. The live contact 128 is mounted in a
retaining compartment 134, which includes a first retaining section
134a and a second retaining section 134b. The first and second
retaining sections 134a, 134b are mounted to each other via a
plurality of mounting screws 135.
The live contact 128 is biased by a contact spring 136, which is
positioned inside a spring cavity 137 of the retaining compartment
134. Specifically, a lower end 128a of the live contact 128 is in
contact with the contact spring 136, while an upper end 128b of the
live contact 128 protrudes externally from the retaining
compartment 134. In this embodiment, the lower end 128a of the live
contact 128 is generally perpendicular to the upper end 128b.
The retaining compartment 134 includes a first guide pin 138a and a
second guide pin 138b, which are biased away from each other via a
guide pin spring 140. When assembled, each of the guide pins 138a,
138b, protrudes through a respective guide hole 142 and through a
respective housing slit 144 to contact an internal wall of a sleeve
145.
The adapter 110 also includes a retaining housing 146 having a
first contact retaining housing 146a and a second contact retaining
housing 146b. The retaining housing 146 is mounted to the housing
body 120 via a plurality of mounting screws 148. The neutral
contact 130 and the ground contact 132 are both fixedly mounted in
the retaining housing 146.
The live contact 128 is attached to a live lead wire 150, which is
internally inserted through the sleeve 145. The neutral contact 130
is attached to a neutral lead wire 152, which is also internally
inserted through the sleeve 145. A neutral coupler 154 connects the
neutral contact 130 to the neutral lead wire 152.
First and second sleeve springs, collectively 156, are positioned
in a housing body cavity 158. A top end 156a of each spring is
positioned in contact with the housing body 121, and a bottom end
156b of each spring is positioned in contact with a spring surface
160 of the retaining compartment 134. The sleeve springs 156 exert
a biasing force on the retaining compartment 134 to move the
retaining compartment 134 axially in a direction away from the
housing 120. In turn, the retaining compartment 134 contacts and
forces the sleeve 145 to move axially in a direction away from the
housing 120.
The adapter 110 further includes a connector 162 which has a top
threaded end 164 and a bottom threaded end 166. The top threaded
end 164 is adapted to couple with a housing matching thread of the
housing body 121. The housing matching thread of the housing body
121 (not shown) is generally located internally near a lower end
168 of the housing body 121. The bottom threaded end 166 of the
connector 162 is adapted to couple with a sleeve matching thread of
the sleeve 145. The sleeve matching thread of the sleeve 145 is
generally located internally near a lower end 170 of the sleeve
145. In this embodiment, the top threaded end 164 has a finer
thread than the bottom threaded end 166. The adapter 110 further
includes an internal threaded area 172 (shown in FIGS. 3A-4B) for
coupling the housing 120 to a corresponding fixture support
109a-109d.
In general, the connector 162 is fixed to the housing body 121
during assembly. Although the connector 162 can be removed from the
housing body 121 (e.g., by unscrewing the connector 162), the
connector 162 typically remains fixed to the housing body 121
throughout installation of the adapter 110 and thereafter. In
contrast, the sleeve 145 is coupled to the connector 162 during
installation of the adapter 110 and may be removed when the adapter
110 requires, for example, further service or a change in
position.
Referring to FIGS. 3A-4B, the adapter 110 is illustrated installed
to the track 102, with the housing cover 122 in a closed position.
The track 102 includes a live conductor 200 and a neutral conductor
202 positioned in respective insulators 204, 206. The track 102 has
a general H (polarized) configuration and the insulators 204, 206
have a general U configuration. The track 102 protrudes through the
adapter 110 from a track hole 208 that is formed in the adapter
110.
The configuration of the track 102 is also generally referred as a
top mounting track configuration. Although the described
embodiments pertain to the top mounting track configuration, the
adapter of the present invention may be configured for other track
configurations (e.g., a side mounting track configuration).
When the housing cover 122 is in the closed position, the adapter
110 has two general positions including a disengaged position
(shown in FIGS. 3A and 4B) and an engaged position (shown in FIGS.
3B and 4B). In the disengaged position, the live contact 128 is
separated from the live conductor 200 by a gap 210. As such,
electrical contact between the adapter 110 and the track 102 is
prevented.
To position the live contact 128 in the engaged position, and
thereby allow electrical contact between the adapter 110 and the
track 102, the sleeve 145 is moved upwards (in an axial direction
towards the housing 120). Generally simultaneously, the sleeve 145
is also rotated to threadedly engage the sleeve 145 to the
connector 162 in a locked position. The movement of the sleeve 145
relative to the housing 120 raises the live contact 128 towards the
live conductor 200, eventually removing the gap 210 when the live
contact 128 makes contact with the live conductor 200.
The sleeve biasing force caused by the sleeve springs 156 helps
reduce some aspects of normal wear-and-tear associated with the
sleeve-to-housing coupling by providing an additional pressure when
coupling the sleeve 145 to the housing 120. The sleeve biasing
force also helps to generally immediately remove contact between
the live contact 128 and the live conductor 200 when removing or
changing the position of the adapter 110.
The contact biasing force caused by the contact spring 136 helps
reduce some aspects of normal wear-and-tear associated with the
contact-to-conductor engagement by providing an additional pressure
when engaging the live contact 128 to the live conductor 200. As
such, electrical contact may persist even if bending or other
physical damage may occur to the live contact 128 or the live
conductor 200.
Referring to FIGS. 5A-5C, the general installation of the adapter
110a to the track 102 includes an initial position (shown in FIG.
5A) in which the adapter 110a is separate from the track 102. In
this initial position, the housing cover 122 is in the open
position.
The adapter 110a is, then, placed on the track 102 in a partially
mounted position (as shown in FIG. 5B). In the illustrated
position, the live contact 128 does not engage, yet, the live
conductor 200 (not shown). The housing cover 122 is still in the
open position.
The adapter 110a is placed in a fully mounted position (shown in
FIG. 5C) when the housing cover 122 is positioned in its closed
position. Specifically, the closed position of the housing cover
122 is achieved by pivoting the housing cover 122 in a clockwise
direction so that its lower end (opposite the end hinged to the
housing body 121) is now in contact with the housing body 121. To
place the live contact in engagement with the live conductor 200,
the sleeve 145 is moved axially towards the track 102 as it is
being rotated to threadedly engage the connector 162. The threaded
engagement between the sleeve 145 and the connector 162 secures the
sleeve 145 over the housing 120 such that the housing cover 122
cannot move from the closed position to the open position. More
specifically, an upper portion of the sleeve 145 overlaps (and
locks) the lower portion of the housing cover 122 to prevent
movement of the housing cover 122 relative to the housing body
121.
In alternative embodiments, the feed adapter 112 (FIG. 1) is
generally similar to the adapter 110 described above, except that
the live contact 128 and the neutral contact 130 are reversed.
Because the feed adapter 112 is mounted on the track 102 in a
position rotated 180 degrees relative to the adapter 110, the live
contact 128 becomes the neutral contact 130 and the neutral contact
130 becomes the live contact 128. For example, in one exemplary
embodiment the reversal of the contacts can be made by generally
coupling the live contact 128 to the neutral lead wire 152 and the
neutral contact 130 to the live lead wire 150.
While particular embodiments, aspects, and applications of the
present invention have been illustrated and described, it is to be
understood that the invention is not limited to the precise
construction and compositions disclosed herein and that various
modifications, changes, and variations may be apparent from the
foregoing descriptions without departing from the spirit and scope
of the invention as defined in the appended claims.
* * * * *
References